This proposal requests support for the 8th International Symposium on Selenium in Biology and Medicine in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, on July 25 to July 30th, 2006, at the University of Wisconsin. The previous international symposiums in this series were held in Venice Italy (2000), Beijing China (1996) and Nashville USA (1992). An international organizing committee has been formed. 12 noted selenium researchers have agreed to chair sessions, and 30 speakers have agreed to give invited talks. The Wisconsin Union Conference Center has contracted to coordinate the registration, hotels, and abstract submission/program preparation. A website will cover recent advances in all areas of selenium biology and medicine. Oral sessions include: Selenoprotein Genomics; Se Incorporation into Selenoproteins; Characterization of Selenoproteins and their Function; Enzymes and Metabolites in Se Metabolism; Selenoprotein Knockout Models; Selenium-Virus Interactions; Human Se Metabolism and Requirements; Se and Cancer Chemoprevention; Se Metabolism and Speciation in Plants; Se in Domestic Animals; Bacterial Selenoenzymes and Unique Se Metabolism; Se in the Environment; Se and Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species. A meeting size is projected to be 40 invited speakers and 230 registered participants, similar to previous meetings. Women and minorities will be well-represented as chairs and speakers, and special efforts will also be made to attract and support young investigators. The meeting starts with an opening session on Tuesday night, has 2 plenary sessions each morning, parallel oral sessions on 3 afternoons, poster sessions on 2 afternoons, an open afternoon to allow organized tours/activities, and a late afternoon final session on Saturday, followed by the banquet. The Memorial Union and its lakeside terrace is an idyllic setting that has come to be known and loved by all. Recent key advances in our understanding of selenium biology make this a timely meeting, and at the cutting edge in integration of molecular and genomic approaches to study of essential nutrients. The breath and depth of this meeting and its participants will help to better integrate this information, leading to additional advances and enhanced understanding of human health. [unreadable] [unreadable]